Application Example Transmitted as Pronounced as

Aircraft callsign AI 235 Air India 235 Air India TOO TREE FIFE
6E 146 IFLY 146 IFLY WIN FOWer SIX
Flight Levels FL 180 flight level one eight zero Flight level WUN AIT ZE-Ro
FL 200 flight level two zero zero Flight level TOO ZE-RO

FL 70 flight level seven zero Flight level SEVen ZE-RO

Headings 150 heading one five zero Heading WUN FIFE ZE-RO
080 heading zero eight zero Heading Zero AIT ZE-RO
300 heading three zero zero Heading TREE ZE-Ro
Wind direction and 020 degrees 70 wind zero two zero degrees seven Wind ZE-RO TOO ZE-RO
speed knots zero knots degrees SEVen ZE-RO knots
100 degrees 18 wind one zero zero degrees one Wind WUN ZE-RO ZE-RO
knots eight knots degrees WUN AIT knots
210 degrees 18 wind two one zero degrees one Wind TOO WUN ZE-RO degrees
knots gusting 30 eight knots gusting three zero knots WUN AIT konts gusting TREE
knots ZE-RO konts
Runway designator 19 runway one nine Runway WUN NINer

06 runway zero six Runway ZE-Ro SIX

23L runway two three left Runway TOO TREE left

Mach number 0.84 Mach decimal eight four Mach DAY SEE MAL AIT FOWer

Altimeter setting 984 hPa QNH nine eight four QNH NINer AIT FOWer

1027 hPa QNH one zero two seven QNH WUN ZE-RO TOO SEVeN

Frequencies 128.3 MHz one two eight decimal three WUN TOO AIT DAY SEE MAL
TREE

135.75 MHz one three five decimal seven five WUN TREE FIFE DAY SEE MAL
SEVeN FIFE

5643 kHz five six four three FIFE SIX FOWeR TREE
All numbers used in the transmission of altitude, height, cloud height, visibility and runway
visual range information which contain whole hundreds and whole thousands shall be
transmitted by pronouncing each digit in the number of hundreds or thousands followed by
the word HUNDRED or TOUSAND as appropriate. Combinations of thousands and whole
hundreds shall be transmitted by pronouncing each digit in the number of thousands followed
by the word THOUSAND and the number of hundreds followed by the word HUNDRED.

Transmission of Time: Time Statement

When transmitting time, only the minutes of 0920 (9:20 A.M.) TOO ZE-RO
the hour are normally required. However, the Or ZE-RO NIN-er TOO ZE-
hour should be included if there is any RO
possibility of confusion. 1643 (4:43 P.M.) FOW-er TREE
Or WUN SIX FOW-er
TREE
Time checks shall be givben to nearest half 175321
minute. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is
to be used at all times, unless specified. 2400 (5:53:21 p.m.) FIFE TREE AND A HALF
hours designates midnight, the end of the day, Or WUN SEVEN FIFE
and 0000 hours the beginning of the day. TREE AND A HALF

Phrase Meaning
ACKNOWLEDGE:
“Let me know that you have received and
understood this message.”
AFFIRM: “Yes.”
APPROVED: “Permission for proposed action granted.”

BREAK: “I hereby indicate the separation between portions

of the message.”
To be used where there is no clear distinction
between the text and other portions of the
message.
BREAK BREAK: “I hereby indicate the separation between
messages transmitted to different aircraft in a very
busy environment.”
 Phrase Meaning

CANCEL: “Annul the previously transmitted cleareance.”

CHANGING TO: When transferring to a pilot-to-controller channel: Aircraft:

CHANGING TO …
(air traffic services unit concerned)

CHECK: “Examine a system or procedure.”

Not to be used in any other context. No answer is normally
expected.

CLEARED: “Authorized to proceed under the conditions specified.

CLEARED FOR IMMEDIATE TAKE OFF Taxi immediately to runway and commence take off
without stop.

CLIMB “Climb to a FL, Altitude or Height.”

CONFIRM “I request verification of: clearance, instruction, action,

information”.

CONTACT: “Establish communications with…”

CORRECT: “True” or “Accurate”.

CORRECTION: “An error has been made in this transmission (or message
indicated).
The correct version is…”

CORRECTION, I SAY AGAIN: If a correction can best be made by repeating the entire
message, the operator shall use the phrase “CORRECTION,
I SAY AGAIN” before transmitting the message a second
time.
 Phrase Meaning

DESCEND “Descend to a FL, Altitude or Height.”

Over Chennai.

DISREGARD: “Ignore.”

HOLD SHORT: “Stop before reaching the specified location.”

Only used in limited circumstances where no

defined Point exists (e.g. Where there is no
suitability located holding Point), or to reinforce a
clearance limit.

HOW DO YOU READ: “What is the readability of my trans- mission?”

I SAY AGAIN: “I repeat for clarity or emphasis.”

LANDED: After landing:

Aircraft: LANDED…(location)….(time)

MAINTAIN: “Continue in accordance with the condition(s)

specified” or in its literal sense, e.g. “Maintain
VFR”.

“Listen out on (frequency)”.

MONITOR:

Note: The phrase “GO AHEAD” has been deleted. In its place the use of the calling aeronautical
station’s call sign followed by the ansering aeronautical stations’s call sign followed by the
ansering aeronautical stations’s call sign shall be considered the invitation to proceed with
transmission by the station calling.
 Phrase Meaning
“No” or “Permission not granted” or
NEGATIVE: “That is not correct” or “Not capable”.

NEGATIVE, I SAY AGAIN: If, in checking the correctness of a read back, an operator
notices incorrect items, he shall transmit the words
“NEGATIVE I SAY AGAIN” at the conclusion of the read back
followed by the correct version of the items concerned.

OPERATIONS NORMAL: When “operations normal” reports are transmitted by

aircraft, they should consist of the prescribed call followed by
the words “OPERATIONS NORMAL”.

OVER: “My transmission is endd, and I expect a response from you.”

Not normally used in VHF communications

OUT: “This exchange of transmissions is ended and no response is

expected.”
Not normally used in VHF communications

READ BACK: “Repeat all, or the specified part, of this message back to me
exactly as received.”

RECLEARED: “A change has been made to your last clearance and this new
clearance supersedes your previous clearance or part
thereof.”

REPORT: “Pass me the following information…”

“I should like to know…” or

REQUEST: “I wish to obtain…”
 Phrase Meaning
ROGER: “I have received all of your last transmission.”
Under no circumstances to be used in reply to a
question requiring “READ BACK” or a direct
answer in the affirmative (AFFIRM) or negative
(NEGATIVE).

SAY AGAIN: “Repeat all, or the following part, of your last

SAY AGAIN…(item), SAY AGAIN all after, SAY transmission.”
AGAIN all before, SAY AGAIN all between…and..

SPEAK SLOWER: “Reduce your rate of speech.”

STANDBY: “Wait and I will call you.”

The caller would normally re-eatablish contact if
the delay is lengthy. STANDBY is not an approval
or denial.

UNABLE/IMPOSSIBLE: “I cannot comply with our request, instruction or

clearance” (normally followed by a reason.)”To
indicate that a request can not be complied with,
or that a requested maneuver can not be
executed.”

VERIFY “Confirm from originator”

WILCO(Abbreviation for “will comply”): “I understand your message and will comply with
it.”

WORDS TWICE: “a) As a request: Communication is

difficult.Please send every word, or group of
words, twice.”
b) As information: “Since communication is
difficult, every word, or group of words, in this
message will be sent twice.”
 Unit/Service available Call sign suffix

Area Control Centre CONTROL

Upper/Lower Control Area UPPER’LOWER CONTROL

Approach Control APPROACH

Approach Control Radar/ Area Control Radar APPROACH RADAR/CONTROL RADAR

Aerodrome Control TOWER

Surface Movement Control GROUND

Radar (in general) RADAR

Precision Approach Radar PRECISION

Direction-finding Station HOMER

Flight information Service INFORMATION

Clearance Delivery DELIVERY

Apron Control APRON

Company Dispatch DISPATCH

Aeronautical Station RADIO

Flow Control FLOW

 Read back and acknowledgement requirements

Read Back Requirements:

The flight crew shall read back to the air traffic controller saftery-related parts of the
clearances and instructions which are transmitted by voice. Information and items not included
below may be acknowledged by Aircraft call sign or by an abbreviated read back.

QNH is always read back. Following items shall always be read-back:

a) ATC route clearance;

b) Clearances and instructions to tneter, land on, take off on, hold short of, cross taxi
and back track on any runway; and
c) Runway-in-use, altimeter settings, SSR codes, level instructions, heading and speed
instructinos and, whether issued by the controller or contained in ATIS broadcast,
transition levels.

Transfer of Communication

An aircraft will normally be advised by the appropriate aeronautical station to change

from noe radio frequency to another in accordance with agreed procedures.In the absence of
such advice, the aircraft shall notify the aeronautical station before such a change takes place.
Aircraft fluying in controlled airspace must obtain permission from the controlling authority
before changing frequency.

An aircraft may be instructed to standby on a frequency when it is intended that the

ATSU will initiate communications, and to monitor a frequency on which information is being
broadcast.

Test procedures including readability scale :

All radio transmissions for test pruposes shall be of the minimum duration necessary for
the test and shall not continue for more than 10 seconds. The recurrence of such transmissions
shall be kept to the minimum necessary for the test.

When the tests are made, the following readability scale should be used:

Scale Readability
1 Unreadable
2 Readable now and then
3 Readable but with difficulty
4 Readable
5 Perfectly Readable